No Desire/Emotional Eater

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I have been on the roller coaster of losing weight and gaining it back for the past 15 years. I have no desire to try anymore as it seems I can't keep it off for too long without going into an emotional binge. I do have a lot going on in my life right now. My mom has cancer and was told there is not much more they can do for her. She is my rock and I can't imagine life without her. I know I need to lose the weight and be a better person and wife to my husband. All I ever want to do is lay around and eat. I am trying to track what i eat, but then I lose interest. I exercise occasionally. I ran a half marathon last August, but haven't run since. I am trying to find ways to cope, but the last thing I want to do when I am sad is track what I eat or exercise. They say find some sort of exercise you enjoy, well right now I am not enjoying anything. The last 2 days I worked out for 30 min each day, but I honestly don't know how long that will last. My husband has been amazing and tries so hard to help me, but I feel like nothing anyone can say or do can help. I am looking for help, trying to find motivation and see what motivates all of you guys when it feels like your world is crumbling down all around you? I have so much weight to lose (65lbs) Please help!!!

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    this is going to be very blunt.

    We can't motivate you. you feel as tho nothing anyone says or does is going to help you yet you are here asking for help...

    If you want to lose weight and keep it off it is a simple process....eat in a reasonable calorie deficet and to do that you need to log accurately and to log accurately you need to weigh your solids and measure you liquids..

    You need to say no to yourself..as far as food goes...

    If you don't want to exercise don't force it...

    And here comes the blunt part...if you want it bad enough...you will do it...that is what motivated me...the desire to lose the weight and keep it off. Simple...not easy...but simple.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    Let's just say that stress and grief are tough. And I know where you're coming from. However...

    What does that 65 lbs have to do with being a "good" wife? Food isn't the only way to cope and deal with stress and grief. Why do you want to lose 65 lbs?

    To have more energy?
    To look better?
    To live longer?
    To live healthier while you're on earth?

    If you want it, do it. If tracking food takes too much energy, if regimented exercise takes too much energy, maybe counting calories and exercise regimes aren't what you need right now.

    Maybe you could pick something to give up. And try that. See how it goes. For instance, way back at the beginning, I gave up drinking calories (except for milk in my cereal). No beer, no soda, no juice. That's just an example. Just pick one thing, one change to make, and do that for a while, if you're feeling overwhelmed. What if you only tracked dinner each day? Or tracked how much water you drank. And that was the ONE thing you did.

    Good luck. You'll find motivation again, you just gotta stop the downward spiral. But just stopping it can be hard, I know. Don't try to reverse direction yet. Just try to stop the downward spiral. That's my advice.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Without the desire, you are unlikely to succeed without medical intervention. It's unlikely that anyone is going to follow you around and make you put down the food or make you get up and exercise.

    But it doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing. Exercise on the days you feel up to it. That is better than never exercising at all.

    Eating right most of the time, then having an emotial binge is better than eating a surplus all the time and still having the emotional binge.

    Keep fighting. Keep doing what you can, when you can. When you mess up, stop using it as an excuse to give up. Making yourself sick will not make your mother better. It will not make you feel better about your mother's illness. Life is hard sometimes, but ruining your health won't make anything better.
  • kathleenjill
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    You sound depressed. Have you talked with your doctor? I have a friend who thinks exercise is the answer to depression but it's hard to exercise when you are depressed. Maybe you should also lower your weight loss goal to 10 lbs at a time instead of 65lbs all at once. You do not need to lose the weight to be a better wife, I bet if you asked your husband he would tell you that you are a perfectly fine wife no matter what size you are. Talk to your doctor and maybe also a counselor to deal with your mom's illness. Good luck!
  • Lindsayryk
    Lindsayryk Posts: 71 Member
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    I lost my mom to cancer almost three years ago (I was 27). Hardest thing I've ever been through and reading books and eating is the only thing that came close to comforting me. Just do what you can dear. If you can just make it out for a daily walk your doing good. Nows not the time to be hard on yourself and you'll get it back together when your ready. I was mean or completely indifferent to my husband when I went through my moms dying and death. I just didn't care about anything. He didn't give up on me and I'm doing much better as far as living my life. Distractions help with the grief. Try walking and listening to music you love. Can be therapeutic.
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
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    The whole process of getting into shape is one of the best forms of self-therapy. Think about it... Do you ever meet someone who is losing weight and getting fit that is miserable? Never!

    What if you made a tiny goal... Like "I'm going to get through one week." Start tracking, start going for walks, but be gentle on yourself. Don't go for a 1200 calorie target, just track. At the end of the week, see where you are and how you feel. If you've accomplished some "healthy" tasks during the week, you might have a nice little boost in confidence and some motivation to do it again for another week.

    It's really hard to pull out of a funk. I wish you the best!
  • poohbah4
    poohbah4 Posts: 127
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    You sound depressed. Have you talked with your doctor? I have a friend who thinks exercise is the answer to depression but it's hard to exercise when you are depressed. Maybe you should also lower your weight loss goal to 10 lbs at a time instead of 65lbs all at once. You do not need to lose the weight to be a better wife, I bet if you asked your husband he would tell you that you are a perfectly fine wife no matter what size you are. Talk to your doctor and maybe also a counselor to deal with your mom's illness. Good luck!

    I was going to suggest this but you beat me to it and said it better than I could. I think this is the first thing she should do . . . get checked out for depression. :happy:
  • tawnyd24
    tawnyd24 Posts: 19 Member
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    That was a great reply. I myself have not gotten the mindset i Need so didn't know what to say. It is motivating see how others on this site are doing it but you are right you have to want to. I WANT to but feel like the will power is not there but need to be stronger!!! I am currently mad at myself but have to just keep trying.
  • tawnyd24
    tawnyd24 Posts: 19 Member
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    1st of all contrats on running a half marathon. That is one of my goals that I would luv to reach. You are going through a lot right now and food is easy to turn to. You will feel better about yourself if you just take small steps. That is what I am telling myself too.
  • Sugarchef
    Sugarchef Posts: 319 Member
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    I lost my mom in January and I completely understand wanting to just lay around and eat. I did that for a while and I'm 20lbs heavier. At the time I didn't even care. Then as time went by I knew I had to move my body. I started exercising first, maybe 3 days a week. The endorphins helped me get motivated to do more. I looked in the mirror and decided I didn't want to carry this extra weight anymore, that I knew I would be happier without it. So now I'm getting back on track. I still have bad days where I just want to make love to grilled cheese sandwiches and martinis, but those days are fewer and farther between. Baby steps. You may totally not feel like moving, but go for a walk. It will help, I promise.
  • scubasuenc
    scubasuenc Posts: 626 Member
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    It sounds like you might be clinically depressed. I suggest you talk to your doctor.

    There are small changes you can make that will help you begin a healthy lifestyle. First start weighing and logging your food. Don't even worry about hitting a calorie goal. The first step is to see what you are eating and when you are eating. After several weeks of just tracking, look at your diaries and see if there are any simple changes you can make that will cut your calories. For example if you drink sugary drinks, or have high-calorie coffees, can you reduce or cut those out? You might want to set MFP up so you have a small deficit at this point (no more than 1lb per week) and start trying to hit your calorie goal.

    Also start trying to exercise. Don't do anything aggressive. Perhaps set yourself the goal of walking for 15 minutes per day. Then work your way up to 30 minutes per day. Once you have established a time and routine for exercise you can look at increasing intensity. Log your exercise so that you can see how many calories you are burning.

    I prefer to focus on behaviors rather than the scale. I set myself 2 goals for each day (1) eat under my calorie goal (2) exercise at least 30 minutes. Before bed I place a pebble in a jar if I have achieved those two goals for the day. It doesn't matter what the scale does or doesn't say, I know if I do those two things every day, the weight will come off.

    Most importantly you need to figure out what will work for you. There are a lot of people on MFP and lots of advice. However what works for one person might not work for you. You need to develop a plan that works for you, and then stick with it.
  • ktraubert
    ktraubert Posts: 29
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    Thanks for all the wonderful reply's. I think sometimes it's helpful coming out of someone else's mouth. Or just something that someone says will hit home. It is so helpful to hear from those who have gone through or are going through the same type of situation. I will try and do some small steps each week and I really like the idea of looking at by setting smaller goals b/c 65lbs is just overwhelming. I have talked to my doctor, thanks for those concerned about depression. I think I am trying to pull myself out of my funk. The last few days I have wanted to workout and I am trying to track today, I just hope that this continues and again, thank you all.
  • Veronnie87
    Veronnie87 Posts: 40 Member
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    Emotional eating is tough. I have struggled with it for years. I have been working through a lot of anxiety issues and a depression that I went through last spring and I agree for the most part with what everyone else has said. It's not about this huge over-arching goal...it's about the baby steps. One little change every couple of weeks will start adding up. All you can do is do your best that you can each day. Don't beat yourself up when you slip up, but don't write off the whole day and binge on four Big Macs either. It will get better, I promise.
  • mahogony07
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    I have been on the roller coaster of losing weight and gaining it back for the past 15 years. I have no desire to try anymore as it seems I can't keep it off for too long without going into an emotional binge. I do have a lot going on in my life right now. My mom has cancer and was told there is not much more they can do for her. She is my rock and I can't imagine life without her. I know I need to lose the weight and be a better person and wife to my husband. All I ever want to do is lay around and eat. I am trying to track what i eat, but then I lose interest. I exercise occasionally. I ran a half marathon last August, but haven't run since. I am trying to find ways to cope, but the last thing I want to do when I am sad is track what I eat or exercise. They say find some sort of exercise you enjoy, well right now I am not enjoying anything. The last 2 days I worked out for 30 min each day, but I honestly don't know how long that will last. My husband has been amazing and tries so hard to help me, but I feel like nothing anyone can say or do can help. I am looking for help, trying to find motivation and see what motivates all of you guys when it feels like your world is crumbling down all around you? I have so much weight to lose (65lbs) Please help!!!


    Hey lady. Most of us have been here at one point or another so I totally understand. Mines was definitely related to PTSD and depression due to my time in the military (Iraq/Afghanistan war vet). I can honestly say that the things that help me out of my emotional rollercoaster was medication, my faith in God, yoga, surrounding myself with positive, supportive people, listening to positive affirmations daily, and a staring a serotonin boosting, healthy diet.(the serotonin power diet). One of the things I also found is that the more I felted discouraged or overwhelmed, the worst it got so I had to get out of the mindset of putting myself down and loving myself unconditionally. Life will always through of tough issues to deal with, but we have an enormous power! You possess that power, so do see yourself as hopeless but a victor no matter how many times you fall down. I know that you will get back on track; just believe in yourself, love yourself unconditionally, and draw stenght from your higher power and from a strong support system. Things will get better!!